Vapor-generating apparatus.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

E. THOMSON.

VAPOR GENERATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIONIILBD OCT. 14, 1902.

5 a m 2 0 m a :r f .2 4 A 1. HQ w. m a /7 Q INVE NTOR I Elihu Thomson WM WITNESSES may ' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIHU THOMSON, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.VAPOR-GENERATING APPARATUS.

Patented June 30, 1908:

Original application filed June 9, 1898, Serial No. 683,000. Divided and this application filed October 14, 1902.

Serial No. 127,227

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELII-IU TI-IQMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Va or-Generating A paratus, of which the fo lowing is a speci cation.

The present application is a division of my pending application Serial No. 683,000, filed June 9, 1898, which division is made under the requirements of the United States Patent Office. v

In order to produce high-pressure vapor, such as superheated steam, under economical conditions, it is necessary to supply water to the boiler and fuelto the fire chamber in certain amounts, which amounts bear a definite relation to each other and are varied to suit the requirements of service. It is also desirable to supply an amount of air to the fire chamber whlch is sufficient to support combustion and to increase or decrease this amount in accordance with the changes in the amount of fuel.

One object of the present invention is to provide a va or-generating system wherein the amount 0 fluid su plied to the generator and fuel'supplied to the fire chamber can be readily varied to suit the requirements of service, and this in a simple and'economical manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vapor-generating system wherein the supply of fluid to the generator and fuel and air to the combustion chamber can be simultaneously controlled in a manner to preserve the economy of the system at all times.

For a consideration of what I consider to be novel and my invention attention is called to theaccompanying description and claims ap ended thereto.

11 the accompanying drawing is illustrated a flash boiler together with water, fuel and air pum s for supplying water to the generator and fuel and air to the combustion chamber, to ether with suitable regulating means there or.

1 represents a flash boiler, which is designed to supply superheated va or and is inclosed by a casing 2. The boi er grids 3 are inclosed by an inner casing, and between this casing and the outer one 1s a chamber 4 for receiving and heating the feed water.

means.

The tank 5 containin water or other liquid is connected with the ower end of the chamber 4 by the pipe 6. The boiler may be of any suitable construction wherein a relatively small space is provided for the water so that there can be no considerable storage space for hot water and steam. Water to t e boiler is supplied by the power ump 7 which has the usual suction and elivery valves 8 and 9. The suction side of the pump is connected 'to the upper end of the feed water heating chamber i by means of the pipe 9 A valve 10 is included in the pipe so that the passa e of water therethrough can be control ed. The delivery side of the ump is connected by the pipe 11 with the iniiet end of the boiler, which in the present instance is at the lower extremity of the structure, and the passage of water in the boiler is toward the fire, that is to say, water is delivered to the coolest part of the boiler, and as it flows therethrough it approaches nearer and nearer 'to the combustion chamber. At some intermediate oint in its assage the water or other liqui is flashed into vapor and from that point on to the delivery end of the boiler it is gradually superheated. The degree of superheat depends upon the amount of liquid forced into the boller and also upon the amount of heat maintained by the fire chamber. 11 is an adjustable by-pass 12 y means of which the proportionality between the water and fuel pump can be ad'usted. That is to say, if the water pump delivers an amount of .water which is in excess, it can be adjusted by slightly opening the by-pass and a certain amount of water will flow in'a local circuit.

The fire chamber comprises a receptacle 13 made out of heat resisting material and containing a mass of broken fire-brick 14 through which the products of combustion pass on their way to the boiler. The mass of firebrick or other material of a similar nature is sustained in position on a grate 15. Situated above the mass of broken fire-brick is a second grate 16 which serves as a retaining Surroundin the fire chamber is a metal casing 17, and etween this casing and the outer one is an air chamber 18 in which the air is heated before it is supplied to the burner.

The burner consists of a detachable head or plug 19 which is retained in place by clamps 20. In the head is formed an air passage 21 that registers with a corresponding passage in the casing. also provided which extend substantially at right anglesto passage 21. It is also provided with. a fuel passage 22 that registers with a fuel passage 23 in the casing. In addition to this small fuel carrying passages opening into the fire chamber are provided.

Fuel for the system is supplied from the tank 24, and a power pump 25 is placed in circuit therewith so that the fuel may be delivered to the fire chamber under relatively high pressure. Situated between the burner and the grate 16 is a mixing chamber in which the air and fuel are mixed and burned. Air is supplied to the chamber 18 by the. power driven air pump 31, and on .the air pump structure are mounted the fuel and water pumps. The air pump is connected to the chamber 18 by a pipe 32, and admission of air to the pump is had through any convenient opening. The fuel and water pum s are driven by the eccentrics 33 and 34 w ich are mounted on the shaft 35, the latter being the shaft which drives the air pump and carries the pulley 36 shown in dotted hnes.

From the fore oing it will be seen that as the speed of the riving shaft 35 changes, the amountsof water, fuel and air delivered by their respective umps will be simultaneously and correspon in lyyaried, owing to the fixed relation of the pumps.

In order to change the speed of the umpdrivin shaft 35 to compensate for c anges in loa on the system, two cone pulleys 37' and 38 are provided which are constructed in the ordinary manner. Connecting the pulle s is a belt, and a lever 40 is rovided which may be actuated in any suita le manner to shift the position of the belt and thus change the speed at which the pulley 37 is driven, and consequently that of the pump shaft 35. The ully 38 is belted, as is shown in dotted ines, to a pulley carried on the shaft of the engine 41. The en ine receives steam from the boiler through t e pipe 42, and the admission of steam to the engine is controlled by the valve 43 which is operated by the handle 44. Steam is admitted to the engine cylinders by valves 45, which are under the control of the cam 46, the cam being connected to the engine shaft by a driving connection 47. The exhaust from the engine is carried by the pipe 48 into the downwardly opening flue 49 where it is employed to increase the draft of the fire chamber.

The engine may be employed to pro el a vehicle as well as to drive the pumps i desired, or it may drive the pumps alone.

To start the apparatus into operation, the plug 19 is removed and heated to a temperature sufficient to easily vaporize the oil coming in contact therewith. A torch is then Other passages for the air are 1. The combination with a steam applied to fire the oil at the opening and the plug returned to place and secured by the clamp 20. At thestart the air and oil pumps are driven by some extraneous means, and the water pump rendered inoperative by shutting off its suction pipe by the Valve 10.

The air from the pipe 32 passes upward.-

after which the combustion of vapor causes the generator to furnish vapor and the engine may be employed to furnish the pumping power.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other equivalent means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-of the United States, is

enerator wherein the heating power is su' p ied by a liquid fuel burner, of a pump an connections for supplying fuel to the burner, a pum and connectlons for supplying water to t e generator, means for uniting the pump pistons, means for driving the pumps, and means intermediate the drivin means and the um s for simultaneously 0 anging the s ee( of the pumps without changing the spec of the driving means in a manner to cause corresponding variations in the supply of fuel and water furnished to the burner and to the generator.

2. The combination of a steam enerator wherein the heating power is supp ied by a liquid fuel burner, a ump and connections for supplying fuel to the burner, a pump and connections for supplying water to the generator, a pump and connections for supplying air to the burner, an engine for driving the pum s, and means intermediate the engine an the pumps for simultaneously. changing the speed at which the umps are driven so as to cause correspon mg variations in the su ply of fuel, air and Water furnished to the urner and generator.

3. In combination, a generator of the flasher type arranged to supply superheated va or, a pump for supplfying liquid thereto, a re chamber, a pump or supplying liquid fuel thereto, a single driving means for both pumps, and a speed-changing mechanism mtermediate the driving means and the pum s whereby the capacities of the pumps can the driving means.

4. In combination, a generator of the .flasher type arranged to supply superheated Va or, a pump for supplying liquid thereto, a tire chamber, a pump for supplying liquid fuel thereto, a pump for supplying air to the fire chamber, a driving means common to the pumps, and a speed-changing mechanism intermediate the driving means and the pumps for varying the effective delivery of the latter.

5. The combination with a boiler, a burner therefor adapted to burn a mixture of air and liquid fuel, a body of heat-resisting material between the burner and the boiler which serves to heat the latter, and an inclosing casing for the boiler, burner and said material, of a pump for en plying liquid to the boiler, pumps for supp ying an and fuel to the burner in definite roportions, a common actuator for the boil er and burner supply pumps, and a controller between the actuator and said pumps for changing the speed of the pumps.

,6. The combination of a flash boiler, a means for heating the boiler which comprises a fire chamber and a body of heat resisting material, a pump for'su plying liquid to the boiler, pumps for supp ying air and evaried without changing the speed of fuel to the means for heating the boiler in definite-proportions, a common actuator for -the li uid,.air and fuel supply pumps, and a contro ler between the actuator and said pumps for changing the speed of the latter.

7. The combination of a generator, a fire chamber, a feed water heater heated by the fire gases, a tank for the water supp y, a pump for circulating water from the tank through the heater and supplying it to the generator, a pump supplying fuel to the fire chamber, means for simultaneously driving the pumps, and means for simultaneously changing the speed of the pumps without affectim the speed of the driving means.

8. he combination of a generator, a burner, a casing for both, a chamber in the casing in which liquid is heated by the fire gases, a tank from which liquid flows to the chamber, a pump for delivering water to the generator, a pum for supplying fuel to the burner, a motor or the pumps, and means inde endent of the motor for changing the speeds of the pumps.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of October, 1902.

ELIHU THOMSON.

Witnesses:

DUGALD MoK. MoKILLoP, JOHN A. MCMANUS. 

